Roll of Honor

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Detective Sergeant

James Higgins

Erie Police Department — Erie, PA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch May 14, 1905

Age 58

Tour of Duty 23 yrs

Badge 10

The Vigil Panel 20 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 13

Incident

Detective Sergeant James Higgins was shot and killed while investigating a report of a suspicious person at the Central High School at 10th Street and Sassafras Street at 10:30 hours. After an initial investigation he returned to the station after finding nothing. He told another officer he was going to return to the school to check it a second time. While there the second time he encountered a man and he identified himself as a police officer. The suspect suddenly produced a handgun and shot him in the jaw. As he struggled with the suspect he was shot two more times in the chest. The suspect fled and was never apprehended. Detective Sergeant Higgins was a U.S. Army veteran of the Civil War and had served with the Erie Police Department for 23 years. He was survived by his wife and seven children. On April 1st, 2003, 98 years after his murder, Detective Sergeant Higgins was posthumously awarded the department's Medal of Honor.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and seven children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-A7E14DB8
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. James is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Detective Sergeant Higgins gave the Erie Police Department 23 years.
Thank you for your service to the Erie community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Erie Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Erie, Erie County, PA

Platform Identity epd.erie.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 14, 1905

Tour of Duty 23 yrs

Age 58

Badge Number 10

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

James Higgins served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Detective Sergeant James Higgins is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 47.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Erie Police Department, 7 of 14 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Erie Police Department

of 14 officers

50% Felonious

PA — Statewide

597

of 1,261 officers

47.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious